Watch Paparazzi

Athlete Rob Dyrdek spotted wearing Rolex

Rob Dyrdek, the professional skateboarder turned media entrepreneur best known for MTV's Rob & Big and Ridiculousness, was photographed at what appears to be a sporting event alongside a companion, his left wrist carrying one of Rolex's most technically complex references: the Yacht-Master II in 18k yellow gold.

The watch visible in the companion wrist shot is unmistakably the Rolex Yacht-Master II ref. 116688, identifiable by its 44mm yellow gold Oyster case, white lacquered dial with blue Arabic numerals at the 12, 3, and 9 o'clock positions, and the distinctive blue Ring Command bezel — a functional, bidirectionally rotating bezel mechanically linked to the movement. The bracelet is the yellow gold Oyster, featuring the Oysterlock clasp with Rolex's EasyLink comfort extension system.

Introduced at Baselworld 2007, the Yacht-Master II was Rolex's answer to professional regatta sailing, where a programmable countdown of 1 to 10 minutes is required by race rules. The calibre 4161 inside runs at 28,800 vph, offers 72 hours of power reserve, and features a column wheel flyback chronograph mechanism. Rolex filed 14 patents for this movement alone — a statistic that underscores how genuinely novel the engineering was at launch.

Among collectors, the full yellow gold 116688 occupies a particular niche: it is simultaneously one of the most technically sophisticated Rolex references and one that demands a bold aesthetic commitment. The blue-on-gold combination reads as unambiguously luxurious. It does not attract the same fervent grey-market premium as the steel sports references, but it retains strong value and is a genuine conversation piece among serious enthusiasts who appreciate its mechanical depth over its flex value.

Dyrdek has built a business empire — Dyrdek Machine — that extends well beyond skateboarding, and his watch choices tend to reflect entrepreneurial confidence rather than conventional collector signaling. A full gold Yacht-Master II, complex, large, and unapologetically gold, fits that profile precisely. At current grey-market levels, the 116688 trades comfortably above retail, reflecting steady demand for Rolex's gold sport references.